


When A Heart Breaks

by Lizzie_Tempest



Series: One-shots [5]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: ALL THE ANGST, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Underfell (Undertale), Angst, F/M, Heartbreak, Reader-Insert, Underfell Frisk, Underfell Papyrus (Undertale), Underfell Sans (Undertale), Underfell Toriel - Freeform, Underfell Undyne, get the tissues and ice cream ready, no happy ending, underfell alphys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2020-07-08 03:14:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19862584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lizzie_Tempest/pseuds/Lizzie_Tempest
Summary: Sans has been in a relationship with you for years.  You're happy.  He's happy.  Everything's great.Until he finds his real soulmate.At least, that's what Sans believes...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [No Response.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19004467) by [TrasBen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrasBen/pseuds/TrasBen). 
  * Inspired by [Pick Up The Pieces](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14684973) by [Sins_of_the_Scruff](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sins_of_the_Scruff/pseuds/Sins_of_the_Scruff). 
  * Inspired by [If You Love Me (let me go)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11674740) by [cryptid_jack](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cryptid_jack/pseuds/cryptid_jack). 



> I'm sure there were more that inspired this...Send me links to soulmate oneshots! 
> 
> Not gonna lie, this is a little bit of a vent fic. I've had some really bad news recently and I just started working on this because I was inspired by all the other soulmate oneshots I had been reading, and I needed a way to get my own angst out. 
> 
> This was the only way for me to do it in a healthy way, I guess?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edited version. Thank you Ariinya for being my beta ^^

You loved Sans.

So much that it hurt sometimes.

You did everything together. You could even finish each other's sentences.

You were perfect for each other. Everybody said so.

You loved Sans. And he loved you.

Which made it hurt more when things fell apart.

* * *

You and Sans had been enjoying a night out. The music in the club was so loud that you could feel it thrumming through your whole body. The place had been packed, filled with humans and monsters alike. Sans had just grinned and wrapped his arm around your waist as he pulled you closer to him. Even though you had been together for three years, you still blushed when he proudly displayed his affection for you. You were still ever so shy.

As the two of you pushed your way through the crowd toward the bar to order some drinks, someone bumped into Sans, spilling their booze all over his leather jacket.

He had growled, baring his razor-sharp teeth, and red eyelights flashing in anger as he turned. He was about to yell and pick a fight with the guy. He felt your tiny hand curl into his, trying to tug him away. And it would've worked if his eyelights hadn't fallen across the room.

Sans' eyelights immediately made contact with a human girl across the room, and his soul stuttered, sending sparks of electricity shooting through his bones despite the fact that he could still feel your hand in his. He turned, looking into your eyes as he winced. You had no idea what had just happened. You had no idea that he had found his soulmate. And it wasn't you.

He tugged his hands out of yours gently, ignoring the silent question you were asking.

"i'm sorry."

That was all he said before leaving you stranded in the middle of the club, crossing the room and grinning in triumph as he finally started to talk to the other girl. Melanie. He could feel your eyes staring into his back. And he ignored you, continuing to flirt with his newfound soulmate.

He didn't watch as you left in tears.

* * *

Melanie became a regular part of your life after that. Whenever you were invited somewhere by your monster friends, Sans would show up with her. And the whole time, he would be grinning like the Cheshire Cat, despite the awkward atmosphere that would always develop when you two were in the same room. He didn't notice how you seemed to wince in pain or rub the place above your soul soothingly as he introduced Melanie as his soulmate.

The other monsters did.

It didn't take them long to figure out what happened. But it seemed a little...strange. You and Sans had been perfect for each other! But Melanie...well, she was hardly the perfect match.

She was beautiful, of course. And perfectly friendly, to their faces, at least. But she rolled her eyes at Sans' jokes, wrinkled her nose in disgust when he drowned his food in mustard. And her nitpicking didn't go unnoticed, either. Always telling him to dress better, to get a better job. To do this, to do that.

You had never cared about that. You had always loved him for who he was. You still did.

And that was why you slowly started phasing yourself out of the group. You told yourself that the others only put up with you because you were with Sans. They wouldn't want to be friends with such a pathetic human, who wasn't even good enough to be with their friend. It wouldn't matter to them if you disappeared.

You stopped accepting invitations when you knew Sans would be there. Which was understandable. Nothing to raise an eyebrow at. The others understood that you would be heartbroken. That it would take time. But they started to become more than a little concerned when you declined all invitations to hang out, even when reassured that Sans would not be there.

As time progressed, Sans became more involved with Melanie. Inviting her to every social gathering (whether he was invited or not). So, of course, you wouldn't come. On the rare occasion that Sans actually asked about you, he accepted the simple explanation of how you were "on vacation" or "busy at work". And the more they didn't see you, the more the other monsters became concerned for your wellbeing. Undyne especially hated seeing you so depressed when she would visit you (because you'd started refusing to leave the house); your hair tangled into knots, bags under your eyes revealing how little you slept, the clothes that hung off your much too thin frame.

It was like not being with Sans was killing you...

After a year of not seeing you, Sans handed an envelope to Toriel and asked her to give it to you if she saw you. It was an invitation to his wedding.

She didn't have the heart to tell him the truth about what was going on. So she held her tongue, nodding as the lovestruck skeleton grinned happily. He was certain you would show up. He could explain himself properly then, and you would be sure to understand! He hated how he left things, but it would be water under the bridge soon enough, and you could go back to being best friends. Once he'd left, Toriel tossed the invitation in the fire, watching the paper burn as she wondered how things became like this.

* * *

The wedding, of course, had been amazing.

It had been such a big party. Not really Sans' style. But he would've done anything for his soulmate. And if that meant a big party, expensive dress that looked like more like a tent than anything, and a big, fancy cake, then she would get it; only the best.

Naturally, all of their friends and family had been there. Melanie's friends had tittered and gushed over how they were such a cute couple. She had giggled, tossing her hair and clinging to Sans' arm as he grinned proudly, skull beginning to glow red as he blushed.

Papyrus had stood with Undyne, shaking his skull as they both scowled. He had made it clear that he wasn't happy about this marriage. That he didn't like Melanie. Sans had scoffed and told him to fuck off. That he didn't need his brother's approval to marry his soulmate.

Sans didn't ask about you. Didn't ask why you weren't there. He just scowled when it became clear that you weren't coming. So much for water under the bridge. He wanted to bury the hatchet, and you were intent on being petty. Well, fuck you! He didn't need you or your forgiveness! He didn't need you to enjoy the best day of his life! Sans had someone much better than you to enjoy his day with.

Papyrus hated how his brother could be so smart and yet so fucking stupid.

* * *

Sans scowled as he rolled his eyelights yet again. After three years of marriage, Melanie could still be so fucking annoying.

_Do the dishes. Pick up your clothes. You stink! Go take a shower! Don't wear that stupid jacket and sneakers at the dinner tonight, it's a fancy place, and I don't want you embarrassing me in front of my boss again! I don't want to go to Grillby's. Your brother and his friend were being really insulting, aren't you going to say anything?!_

And those were just a few of the complaints she had come out with over the time they'd spent together.

It had started out so well. Sans just couldn't figure out why things had been...less than okay. Melanie was his soulmate! She was made for him! And yet...and yet, even after all this time, he just couldn't really find anything that they really had in common. Besides the sex. But even then, it was just okay; nothing to shout about. There had been literal fireworks when they first met. His soul couldn't stop shuddering in delight at the thought of finding her. What had changed since then? What could've possibly caused his soul to do the theoretical equivalent of saying "oh for fuck's sake" every time she walked in the room after they got married?

And then there was the baby...

Yes, the baby. The baby boy that looked nothing like him. Looked an awful lot like the cashier at the grocery store who kept flirting with Melanie, though. Needless to say that Sans had a very strong feeling that his "son" wasn't actually his. Just the thought crushed him.

For the first time in years, Sans allowed himself to think about you. Where were you now? What were you doing? You weren't at his wedding. He'd thought you were being petty at first, but maybe... Had anything happened to you? Papyrus didn't talk about you anymore. Were you okay? He regretted ending things the way he did... He wished he could try and make things better. He wanted his best friend back.

...

He wanted _**you**_ back.

He ran his phalanges over his skull and teleported. He could hear the tell-tale footsteps of his wife's heels, and he really didn't want to see Melanie right then. He needed to figure out how to end things with her. It would be hard, but he was pretty sure that she wanted the same. As for the baby, well, it wouldn't be a good idea to stay in the kid's life. Not if he wasn't the father. The kid never seemed to warm up to him, anyway.

When he came out of the shortcut, he was sitting in the living room of the house that he used to share with Papyrus, and he sagged with relief as his wife's annoying whining voice faded away. He closed his sockets, slowly slipping into a doze.

"BACK AGAIN, BROTHER?"

Sans' sockets shot open again as his brother's voice sounded loudly throughout the room, and his eyelights darted around before resting on Papyrus, who was leaning against the doorframe leading to the kitchen. His brother glared at him as he folded his arms, scowling as he narrowed his sockets at his brother. Sans groaned.

"don't say it."

Papyrus raised a brow bone.

"SAY WHAT?"

"that i made a mistake with melanie..."

The silence that stretched between the two brothers was deafening. The shorter skeleton hung his head as he watched his brother from the corner of his socket. Finally, Papyrus sighed as he walked towards Sans, clapping a hand on his shoulder as he sat down next to him.

"You Said It, Not Me." It sounded wrong for Papyrus' voice to be so quiet.

Sans winced. He didn't think it would hurt so much to admit it. He didn't think it would be so easy for Papyrus to agree with him. He knew that Papyrus always preferred you over Melanie, but...

"papyrus? do...do ya think that, maybe...melanie isn't my soulmate...?"

Papyrus rolled his eyelights.

"STARS, BROTHER. YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE SMART! IT'S DISGRACEFUL THAT IT'S TAKEN YOU THIS LONG TO FIGURE THIS OUT!"

He hung his head. His brother was right. It shouldn't have taken so long to figure out, especially if everyone else seemed to be aware of it. His friends had made it clear that they never liked his wife. Frisk had been more subtle. The kid would be polite enough but then would awkwardly look away and avoid eye contact whenever he had asked if they liked Melanie. He should've seen the signs. That feeling he got when he had found his soulmate only appeared when you held his hand to keep him calm. At the time, he had mistaken the electricity as a result of making eye contact with Melanie. He could feel that same electricity now, as he began to think about you; your smile, your laugh... He knew better now. It was you, it was always you. He never should've left you.

"do you know where i can find (y/n)?"

The taller skeleton raised a brow bone.

"YOU WISH TO MAKE AMENDS."

Sans nodded slowly. Papyrus sighed before standing.

"COME ON, THEN. NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT."

* * *

Sans hadn't thought very much about it when his brother had brought him to a flower shop. Papyrus ordered him to choose a bouquet of flowers, preferably your favorite, if possible. So he hadn't wasted time picking up a beautiful bouquet of peonies. At the advice of the sales assistant, a few daffodils had been added among the peonies. To symbolize asking forgiveness, they had said, on hearing about the situation.

He never thought in a million years that he would be standing here in front of your grave.

His eyelights vanished from their sockets, and he trembled as he fell to his knees. Petals fell from the bouquet as it tumbled from his arms to lie forgotten on the ground. He shakingly reached out to touch the gravestone. Tracing the words etched onto the stone as his eyelights took in the sight of the other bouquets laying at the base. He began to sob as he stared at the date.

The day of his wedding.

Three years. You'd been gone for three whole years, and he had never even realized. Of course. How would he know? His soul hadn't acknowledged yours as his soulmate. Your soul wouldn't have bonded with his because of that. And now he would stay alone, all because his soul was a fucking idiot and made a stupid mistake. How could his soul be so stupid? How could HE be so stupid? How could he not realize the truth? Fuck, the day of his wedding... That's why you hadn't shown up. You weren't being childish and petty.

He had been stuffing his face. Drinking. Dancing with his bride. Laughing and joking. And you? You had been...

"what happened?" he sobbed.

Papyrus kneeled down next to his brother and deposited his own bundle of flowers before turning to Sans and beginning to explain exactly what happened.

* * *

_This wasn't fair. Nothing about this was fair! They could all see how you withdrew after Sans became involved with Melanie. They tried to keep you involved as much as possible. It was only natural that you wouldn't want to see the monster you loved flaunting his "soulmate". Everyone could understand that!_

_Everyone was incredibly patient with you. They understood how hard it must've been for you. Undyne would try to drag you out of bed. Alphys would try to persuade you to go to a convention that you two had been planning cosplays for. Papyrus would try to engage you in puzzles and cooking. Frisk would drag you to the park and onto the swings, demanding a contest to see who could go higher. Something that you always used to relish in. Toriel would make you pies and cookies and all kinds of different food as she coaxed you gently, begging you to please eat something._

_All attempts to involve you in any kind of activity were met with failure. Undyne's fins drooped as she realized she would once again have to carry you around if it meant getting you outside. You apologized to Alphys, saying that you weren't feeling up to going to a convention but promised to try and make an effort next time. Papyrus would wrap his arms around you as you burst into tears, dropping whatever utensil you were attempting to use as you remembered baking and solving crosswords with Sans. Frisk would slowly allow their swing to stop and stare at your silent tears, shoulders slumped as you didn't even bother to kick your feet. Toriel wrung her paws desperately as she bit her lip, silently pleading for you to eat. The goat mother's soul broke every time you pushed the plate away, laying your head on the table and closing your eyes._

_When Alphys saw how you seemed to be in pain whenever Sans was mentioned in passing conversation, she had to look into it. So she asked you to visit her in the hospital where she worked. Knowing that Sans wouldn't be there, you hadn't hesitated to take the scientist up on her offer. Alphys had to physically restrain herself from recoiling in shock when she took in your appearance after a week of not seeing you._

_Hair limp and greasy, skin pale. Eyes red and puffy from crying, with such deep bags under them, that it was obvious that you hadn't been sleeping. At all. You fiddled nervously with the sleeves of your jacket, and Alphys couldn't help but notice how your nails had been bitten so short that it was a matter of time before you'd start on your fingers. And the way you hunched in on yourself like you were trying to make yourself smaller..._

_Alphys had wasted no time in sitting you down, ensuring you were comfortable and relaxed before pulling your soul out. This time, she didn't bother to hold back her cries of anguish as she took in the sight of your soul. Gaping cracks littered the tiny heart, little fragments breaking off and dissolving._

_And you..._

_You didn't seem to care. You didn't even seem surprised._

_Alphys had shakingly asked when you wanted to start treatment. She wouldn't be able to stop your soul from shattering. Only Sans would be able to help with that, and as she flicked through her diary to begin making a schedule, she hoped with all her soul that he would come to his senses soon. The least she could do until then was help to delay the inevitable._

_You placed your hand on top of her scaly one, stopping her actions. Alphys looked up and almost expected to see you determined to fight. Surely there would be no way you would just give up. But she couldn't help bursting into tears as she gazed into your dull eyes, taking in the sight of your sad smile. She knew then that you weren't going to fight. You had truly given up. On everything._

_“It'll be okay," you had said._

_Nothing about this was okay. Alphys, Undyne, Toriel, Frisk, and Papyrus all had to watch as you grew weaker. They begged you to keep fighting. But you just shook your head. By the time Sans and Melanie had announced their engagement, you were no longer strong enough to leave your bed. Papyrus begged you to let him tell his brother the truth, ordered you to stay strong until he could fix this. You were NOT allowed to die! Not on his watch!_

_You sighed tiredly and held his hand gently._

_"Sorry, Papy..."_

_They didn't bother taking you back to the hospital. The doctors wouldn't be able to help, and they knew that you wouldn't be comfortable. Alphys and Undyne set up a room in their home instead and took up shifts to keep an eye on you throughout the nights. You began to sleep more and more. And eventually, you couldn't bring yourself to open your eyes. If it weren't for your shallow breaths and the beeping from the machines, one would think you were already dead._

_Alphys called them all together the night before the wedding. She didn't bother calling Sans. She knew you wouldn't want him to see you like that. She began to wring her claws together nervously as she explained to her friends that it wouldn't be long. That it would be best to say their goodbyes._

_"There's truly nothing you can do Alphys?" Toriel pleaded._

_The dinosaur monster shook her head sadly. "It's not what she would've wanted. I'm afraid it's only a matter of time now. All we can do is...keep her comfortable, I guess."_

_Undyne scowled, clenching her teeth as she looked through the tiny window that led to the room that you currently lay in. Toriel began to weep in despair._

_The next day, the dinosaur monster called Sans, apologizing for not being able to come to the wedding. Something important had come up. She reassured him that Undyne would be there (albeit reluctantly. But he didn't need to know that)._

_Sans stood at the altar, grinning and saying his vows._

_Alphys sat at your bedside, holding your hand and weeping silently as your soul finally shattered._

_Undyne's phone rang during the ceremony. She didn't care that she'd interrupted everyone by answering. She just listened before turning her gaze to Papyrus and Toriel, nodding once before ending the call._

_Toriel burst into tears and buried her face into her handkerchief. A few of the guests chuckled, presuming that she was emotional from the wedding. Melanie's mother was dabbing tears from her own eyes._

_When Sans turned his questioning gaze towards Undyne, the fish monster sniffed before stating that Alphys sent her best wishes. He rolled his eyelights and turned back to his bride so he could kiss her._

_As the guests cheered for the happy couple and threw confetti over them, three monsters and one human wept in silence, grieving the loss of their friend._

* * *

Sans gritted his teeth, clutching at his soul as he finally began to feel the pain that you must've been feeling right until the end. He had caused your soul to break. When his soul made the mistake of thinking Melanie was his true soulmate and not you, he not only pushed you away. When his soul rejected yours, he single-handedly sent you to your death.

And he didn't even realize. Stars, he didn't know! Why didn't he ask about you?! Why didn't he wonder where you were?!

He didn't know what was worse. Your death, him not knowing about your death, not acknowledging you as his real soulmate, not being able to bond with you, not being able to fade away into dust as your soul shattered...

Tears fell from his sockets as the reality hit him. He would never see you again. Never grow old with you. He'd never have a family with you or hold your hand as you passed away in your sleep while he crumbled to dust with a smile on his face. He would never have that. You were already gone.

And it was all his fault.

* * *

_~~**"Do you know what happens when someone finds their soulmate, Sans?"** ~~ _

_~~**"...yeah. your soul feels good and...er...i think i heard something about electricity? is that right?"** ~~ _

_~~**A low chuckle came from the older skeleton as he watched his thirteen-year-old son tinkering with some old engine parts. He was such an intelligent boy for his age. Gaster had no doubt that his son would go far.** ~~ _

_~~**"Yes, that is right."** ~~ _

_~~**"huh. that happen with you and ma?"** ~~ _

_~~**Sans laughed as his father blushed furiously before turning back to his tinkering.** ~~ _

_~~**"** ~~ _ _~~**Something like that. Anyway, this is more important than that story, and it's something that you need to know."** ~~ _

_~~**The younger skeleton quirked a brow to show he was listening. Gaster continued.** ~~ _

_~~**"Some soulmates don't always realize straight away what they are to each other. They need to build that bond until, eventually, both souls recognize the other as their mate. From here, they can bond properly and take their relationship to the next level."** ~~ _

_~~**Sans scowled, sticking his tongue out in disgust as his father laughed. Once he sobered up he continued.** ~~ _

_~~**"However, it is possible for someone to reject their soulmate. To reject one's soulmate is...a very sad thing to happen, Sans. When one rejects their soulmate, the rejected's soul starts to break. They will be in constant agony until, eventually, their soul shatters. When their soul finally breaks and they die, the one who rejected them is forced to feel the pain their soulmate went through. But unlike the rejected party, their soul won't break. Not ever. They'll be forced to live with the pain and anguish of not having a soulmate, and fate will deem them unworthy of ever finding one again."** ~~ _

_~~**Gaster turned to the now enraptured Sans, a stern look on his face.** ~~ _

_~~**"Hold onto your soulmate when you find them, son. If you throw them away, then you won't ever see them again. If your soul did somehow shatter afterward, then you would go to a very different place from them. Do you understand?"** ~~ _

_~~**Sans nodded. He wasn't interested in anything like that right now, but if he did have a soulmate somewhere, he silently promised his father that he would hold onto them and never let go.** ~~ _


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of you wanted another chapter. Hope this is okay...
> 
> A/N: This has now been edited

Frisk knew that this day would come eventually. Of course, they had thought it would be sooner. The teenager gazed at the skeleton in front of them, and for once, Sans was the one who felt like he was being judged. He could feel his sins crawling up his back as his old friend glared at him with such hatred. He almost took a step back, thinking that Chara had possessed them once more.

But no. Their eyes remained the same hazel color that they always were when they were Frisk. Not a hint of red anywhere.

Sans didn't blame them. He didn't blame any of his friends for hating him. Yes, Sans had noticed how his (former) friends avoided him like the plague. In the beginning, he had chalked it up to not really spending time with them anymore after marrying Melanie. Now he knew the truth. So no, he couldn't blame them. Not when Sans hated and blamed himself.

And he knew that what he was about to ask would make Frisk hate him more.

"will you reset?"

Sans didn't think the friendly pacifist child would have been capable of snarling until this very moment.

"Are you serious?! You want all of our progress to be wiped away? To become nothing?! All because of a stupid mistake you made?!"

The skeleton winced. Frisk had never yelled at him before. It hurt more than he thought it would. Even though they had every right to yell at him. He had asked them to reset after making them promise that they wouldn't! It had taken so long for the hostility between monsters and humans to quiet down. Months had passed before the human government had even thought about giving monsters the rights that they deserved. It had taken even longer for the law allowing monster/human marriages to be passed.

He was asking them to throw away all of their hard-earned progress. All because he made the stupid mistake of choosing someone else instead of his own soulmate. The rejection had caused his real mate's soul to shatter, and once he realized he became determined to make things right again.

Which brought him back to the present.

Frisk scowled and started to shake their head. They turned away from him, determined to focus on their homework for once.

"I'm not resetting, Sans. I miss (y/n) as much as anyone else does. But I'm not breaking my promise. And I know she wouldn't want all of our progress erased, even if it meant bringing her back. Now, get out. You made your bed, so you can lie in it."

A soft scratching noise could be heard as Frisk's pencil scribbled across the paper they were so focused on. They chewed absently on the end as they jotted notes and solved the equations. Some of them were most likely wrong. Math had never been their strong suit. But they had gotten a lot better with Alphys' tutoring, so there was no danger of them failing.

The teenager sighed as they eventually realized that they could still feel a presence in the room. They started to feel the crackle of magic in the air and couldn't stop the slight tremble that wracked their body as they slowly turned around.

They didn't get any further before the air was knocked from their lungs. Frisk let out a strangled cry as blood dripped from their lips, and a searing pain pierced their chest. Whimpering, their eyes looked down towards the source.

A jagged bone had been impaled into their chest, blood pooling, and beginning to form a puddle on the floor of their bedroom. The pain started to become unbearable as they turned their head back to Sans. Frisk's lip wobbled as they let out a choked sob on seeing the manic grin on Sans' face.

His eyelights had vanished, and his grin widened as he took in Frisk's form. Crimson tears gathered in his own sockets as he sniffed. Tears fell from Frisk's eyes as they realized what he was doing.

"S-Sans...please. D-Don't —!"

They didn't get to finish their sentence before Sans summoned a Gaster Blaster. He didn't even have to lift a finger in order to fire it at the teenager he used to call a friend. He knew that there was no way they would survive this.

"hehe. sorry kiddo, but i can't live without (y/n). heh, guess we'll see her soon?"

Sans' quiet chuckling descended into maniacal laughter as his vision darkened, and the world began to shift.

He had never been so grateful to wake up back in his bed in Snowdin.

* * *

Sans heaved a sigh of relief, breathing in deeply and reveling in the fresh air after being trapped under the mountain once again. Opening his sockets and watching his friends and the kid viewing the sunset, he just knew that things were going to be different this time.

He found his eyelights being drawn to the back of Frisk's head, and as if feeling his gaze, they slowly turned their head. The child scowled and glared at him, eyes flashing red in warning. Sans chuckled and waggled his fingers in a little wave that had the child scoffing and turning away from him in disgust.

The smile fell from the skeleton's face as he let his hand drop. He couldn't deny the pang of hurt that stabbed through his soul. He had tried to make it up to Frisk. Had tried to apologize, explain why he did what he did. He had protected them fiercely despite their protests and the jeering from the other monsters. Any treats he'd given them had just been thrown back in his face. Literally. The number of times he'd had to shower bits of food off his skull was unreal. Eventually, he stopped trying to make amends and resorted to quietly watching over them from the shadows.

He sighed once more. Welp, no time like the present. With that thought in mind, he started down the path. He wanted to get through this quickly. He needed to find you as soon as possible, and once he did, he would be sure to treat you like a princess. You deserved nothing less after the shit he had put you through.

* * *

Sans couldn't find you.

Scraping his fingers across the back of his skull, Sans desperately tried to think of any other places you used to haunt. He'd been up here for five years now! You had to be somewhere! You just had to...

You...were up here...weren't you?

He bit his lip, eyelights darting around frantically as he got the horrible feeling that you were still gone. That you would forever be gone. And if that was true, then he would've avoided his friends for nothing. He would've caused a reset for nothing if he couldn't find you. He knew too well that Frisk was thinking the same thing. Every time they saw that he was still depressed and still clearly searching for you, they would curl their lip in a sneer, hatred clear as crystal in their eyes.

It was no secret that Frisk blamed him for why it was taking so long for monsters to gain their rights. It was taking way too long. Longer than it ever had. Longer than it previously did. It was almost like Sans' actions had a lasting effect on the timeline. He wasn't sure if he should be concerned or not. His entire focus had been on finding you again.

And it was getting increasingly difficult. There was a slim chance that you actually lived outside of the city that he and the rest of monsterkind had been confined to for these last five years. And if these laws didn't get passed soon, then he wouldn't be able to travel further to look for you. What if you had slipped through his fingers again while he'd been stuck here? What if you were with someone else? Would you recognize him? Would you remember what he had done?

Stars, he hoped not. He didn't think that he would be able to cope if you rejected him. Huh. At least then he would know how you had really felt back then.

The skeleton grimaced at the phantom pains his soul was experiencing and rubbed at his sternum as he tried to soothe the ache. The pain had never truly gone away, even after the timeline was reset. He'd like to think that it was the unbearable pain in his soul that had actually driven him to cause the reset by force. But he knew all too well how clearly he was thinking that day. He wasn't proud of what he had done.

He jolted slightly as his phone started to ring. Weird. No one had called him since Frisk had refused to let him be their bodyguard and practically demanded Papyrus instead. Frisk kept sending him hateful glares that the other monsters didn’t miss, and it didn’t take them long to start avoiding him, what with everyone loving the kid so much. At least they were subtle about it and made excuses that he could somewhat believe. Frisk would straight up and leave if he so much as entered the same room as them.

Frisk had never told anyone what had happened. If they had, then a whole new can of worms would be opened, and he wasn't entirely sure if anyone was quite prepared for that. If they were going to explain what happened in the last timeline, they would have to talk about all of the other ones. And some were just best left alone. Best for them to stay in the past. It was the only thing that the two had silently agreed upon. That much stayed the same, at least.

Which was why it was so strange that someone was calling now, after all this time.

"SANS! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HOME HOURS AGO!"

Ah, Papyrus. Sans could always rely on his brother.

"on my way, bro."

His brother scoffed.

"REMEMBER! WE'RE ALL MEETING ON THE HILL WHERE WE LEFT THE UNDERGROUND. I'M ALREADY ON MY WAY, SO JUST GO STRAIGHT THERE!"

Wait. What?

"er bro? what are you talking about?"

"FOR STARS’ SAKES SANS! PLEASE TELL ME YOU DID NOT FORGET THAT TODAY IS THE ANNIVERSARY OF OUR ASCENSION! YOU ALREADY MISSED LAST YEAR'S CELEBRATION, AND I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO SHAME ME AGAIN BY MISSING OUT THIS TIME! IT WAS EMBARRASSING ENOUGH WHEN YOU SHOWED UP WITH SOME HALF-ASSED EXCUSE. THREE. WEEKS. LATER!"

He tried to protest, but Papyrus wasn't having any of it. By the time Papyrus had slammed the phone down, he'd threatened a brutal beating if Sans didn't show up. The last time Sans had to suffer a more brutal thrashing from his brother, he ended up with a permanent crack in his skull and a missing tooth. He was glad he was able to get the gold replacement. It added character.

Guess there really was no getting out of this. Sans would go to the anniversary celebration. He would make an appearance, get some food and drink, and then go home to get some rest so he could continue with his search tomorrow.

And with that, Sans began to teleport across the city to the mountain and began to watch quietly as the first few to arrive began to help with setting things up.

* * *

He'd stayed longer than he meant to. He'd only meant to have one hot dog. But apparently, he'd forgotten to eat, and his body was only now reminding him. He ate five before starting on the burgers.

Papyrus had eventually found him guzzling numerous bottles of mustard...under one of the tables, giggling and hiccuping slightly. His brother had scowled at his somewhat tipsy form and dragged him out to actually greet the others.

He could feel the disappointed looks from his old friends as they took in his drunken state, exchanging wary glances as Papyrus practically held him up. Frisk must've had a growth spurt, getting close to his own height, and their hair was a little longer now. They didn't bother trying to hide their disgust, wrinkling their nose before turning and walking away. Toriel tried to protest; she wanted them to at least make amends with Sans, no matter what he had appeared to do to them. For once, Frisk chose to ignore their adopted mother and decided to go in search of cotton candy and ice cream. They didn't want to see Sans. And they especially didn't want to see what was going to happen next.

The former queen sighed and followed after them. Someone had to make sure they wouldn't gorge on too much junk food and get sick.

Asgore suddenly got pulled away by another monster. Something about a problem with the fireworks...? The goat king grumbled as he was led away, leaving Alphys and Undyne. The former looked almost nervous as the latter grinned.

"So. How have you been?"

Sans almost snorted in disbelief. He practically ignores them for around five years, and now they want to play catch up. He was about to walk away when he heard a voice.

"Undyne! Alphys! I'm here! I made it!"

Sans' eyelights shrank to pinpricks. He knew that voice. Oh stars, he hadn't heard that voice in so long. He'd missed you so much, were you really there? Or was this a cruel joke that his mind was playing on him?

The two monsters in front of him turned in the direction of the voice, grinning and laughing as you ran up to them, cheeks rosy as you huffed and tried to catch your breath. How did you know Undyne and Alphys? Surely, he would've seen you if they had introduced you... You placed a hand on your still racing heart. Undyne immediately burst out laughing, and Sans couldn't help the fond smile as he took in the sight of pieces of confetti and cotton candy stuck to your face and hair.

_You had stumbled into Alphys and Undyne in a manga shop. Literally. You had been carrying too many graphic novels, struggling to see around the ridiculous number of volumes in your arms. And unfortunately, Alphys had been doing the same thing. Needless to say, the staff in the store watched with eager anticipation, waiting for the inevitable collision._

_The event in itself had been rather spectacular. You'd finally tripped over your own feet in your haste to get to the shoujo manga and practically fell onto Alphys. The poor dinosaur monster had squawked in shock as she collided with you, and the mangas fell everywhere, creating quite the impressive selection around both of you._

_Undyne had careened around the corner of one of the shelves at her girlfriend's yell, to see the staff falling over each other laughing as you and Alphys lay on the floor completely stunned. She bit her lip to keep from laughing as she took in the sight of all the mangas on both sides as well as the stunned expressions on the faces of the two on the floor before shaking her head slightly, heading over to pick Alphys up and help sort out the mess._

_Eventually, you kicked yourself into gear and blushed furiously, stuttering apologies as you tried to pick up your own precious collection. At some point, you both noticed that you had picked up the complete set of Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni, and the lights in the store had flickered ominously as you both screeched, immediately fangirling and sharing headcanons and theories for the violent manga._

_The two monsters had insisted on you hanging out with them and, having few to no friends on a regular day, you eagerly agreed. This, of course, led to anime movie nights and sleepovers. You had even taken the two along to a convention. They had almost been overwhelmed by how the humans at the convention had welcomed them with open arms, recommending different anime and complimenting their cosplays._

_But it was when Undyne and Alphys first heard you say a pun that they were immediately struck with a fantastic idea. You loved junk food, laughed at bad jokes and puns, and you were great with Frisk. The teen in question had greeted you like an old friend, rushing towards you and wrapping their arms around you in a tight hug. With all of this in mind, Undyne and Alphys had the brilliant idea of setting you up with their old friend Sans. You seemed to be perfect for him! If they didn't know any better, they'd say that they had found his soulmate for him..._

Back in the present, Alphys smirked as she tapped at her cheek, and you blushed as you furiously tried to wipe your face with the sleeves of your hoodie. Sans found himself biting his tongue when you only succeeded in spreading it around more, the crystallized sugar resting on the tip of your nose.

"Did I get it?" you grinned.

"Yep. You got it all," Undyne forced out as she tried desperately not to laugh. When she finally got her laughter under control, the fish monster pulled you forward and thrust you towards Sans, Undyne quickly introducing you to him before standing back with Alphys and Papyrus, excitedly watching for your reaction.

Sans honestly couldn't believe his eyes. You really were here! Right in front of him! He couldn't mess this up. There was no possible way he could mess this up now; he knew you too well. Still, he couldn't help the shy smile as his eyelights grew bright and fuzzy, and his skull glowed gently as he blushed, bones shuddering slightly as he felt the electricity deep in his soul. He scratched nervously at the back of his neck and extended a hand out to shake yours. Alphys and Undyne gasped and squealed quietly, shushing each other so they could watch. Could it be...? Had they really found Sans' soulmate?

You stared at his hand blankly before raising your gaze back to his eyelights. He felt himself sweating slightly as your brow furrowed. You seemed to look confused for a moment like you were struggling to remember something before you winced slightly. Sans felt his soul sink as you brought your hand up to rub your chest. Just like you would've done in the last timeline when he broke your soul. But there was no way you remembered; you would've said something by now if you did. The reset should've fixed your soul. Did it leave a permanent scar that couldn't be removed with time? Possible. But a quick check on your soul had him confused: no scratches, no scars, and no gaping chasm. It was throbbing slightly, but other than that, there was nothing that should've been causing you any pain.

He lowered his hand when it became clear that you weren't going to shake it. He didn't know how to feel when he saw you watching him warily. It almost seemed like you were going to bolt if he took a step towards you. But why? Since monsters had come to the surface, humans had become more in tune with their souls. Not enough to use magic, but enough to know when they had met their soulmate. Sans could still feel his soul calling out to yours. He knew the connection was still there! So why weren't you acknowledging it?

The silence stretched between you and him. The celebrations continued on in the background, and he could feel his friends watching. You wouldn't meet his eyes, hand still rubbing your chest as your other hand tugged at the end of your hoodie. A bad habit that always showed when you were feeling nervous. And not in a good way. You hunched your shoulders slightly as if trying to make yourself smaller.

"er..."

Your gaze immediately shot to his, and he almost winced from the intensity. Your eyes flitted around, looking for escape routes. He'd be able to catch you with no problem. But he couldn't understand why you would want to run from him. You were his soulmate, and he was yours! Surely, you didn't remember how horribly he had treated you in the last timeline. Surely, you didn't know how he had been the cause of so much pain, the cause of your death. You couldn't remember.

"are you...okay?"

Your eyes darted over to where Undyne and Alphys were standing, eyes wide, and silently begging them for help. Luckily for you, they seemed to get the message. Undyne's fins drooped, and the two monsters both sighed in disappointment.

"I don't understand. I could've sworn — "

"Yeah, me too. Guess we were wrong."

The fish monster clapped a hand on your shoulder as Alphys took hold of one of your hands, leading you away from the skeleton monster who stood bewildered. Sans' bones rattled as he began to panic. He couldn't lose you again. He just couldn't! It hurt too much the first time. It had taken too long to find you, and he didn't want to let you go again. Not now.

"wait! please!"

He saw you physically wince at the sound of his voice and he hated having that effect on you. He tried to go after you when he felt a bony hand grip his wrist tightly. Sans looked at his brother, betrayal in his eyes as he pulled, desperately digging his heels in when Papyrus started to yank him in the other direction.

But then you turned back to him. Sans couldn't help the flicker of hope that sparked in his soul. You had felt the connection! You must've! Some soulmates took longer than others, so maybe that had been what happened here! But you sensed it now! You had to!

His eyelights shrank to pinpricks as he saw the pity in your gaze.

"I'm sorry. Really, I am. But...my soul...my soul is telling me that you're bad news. It's never been wrong before. And I don't plan on ignoring it now."

Sans felt the panic eating away at him. Your soul didn't recognize his. You didn't realize he was your soulmate at all!

"please...we're soulmates! please, just listen to me!"

You shook your head and scowled.

"Sorry. But you've made a mistake. I don't have a soulmate. Just the thought of having one makes my soul hurt. I may not be a monster, but I know that's not supposed to happen if you have one. Besides, if you really were my soulmate, wouldn't I have felt something? Besides pain?"

Sans didn't know what to say. There wasn't anything that he could say. He felt numbness starting to overtake him, the pain increasing in his soul. You turned away from him and continued to walk away. Undyne and Alphys trailed after you, sending confused glances back at Sans and wondering why he could feel a connection and why you couldn't. Before the crowds swallowed you up, Sans couldn't stop himself from checking you.

**Y/n**

**LV 1**

**HP 100/100**

**EXP 0**

**Doesn't believe in love or soulmates. Thinks you are delusional. Don't bother trying. ~~(Did you think I wouldn't remember...?)~~**

Sans felt another stabbing pain and gripped his chest. Stars, was this what you had felt? Was this the pain that he had unknowingly inflicted upon you in the last timeline? It hurt so much.

You physically didn't remember what he had done. But it didn't matter. Your soul had remembered; it had remembered what he had done to you while sparing you from the pain of having to remember. And in order to protect you from having to ever suffer that pain again, it had severed any ties that could've been used to form a bond. Not just with him. Anyone else who would want to pursue you romantically wouldn't stand a chance. Your soul felt so betrayed by what he had done that it was stopping everyone from getting close.

This wasn't the you that he remembered. His version of you had been full of love, always offering hugs and affection. This version of you was cold. The friendship you had with Alphys and Undyne was the closest that you were ever going to get to forming a bond. You had fun with them, but you kept them at arm's length without them even realizing. Did they actually know much about you? Sans couldn't tell anymore.

He remembered his father telling him that if someone rejects their soulmate, they would never see them again. He couldn't help but wonder now. Was this what his father had really meant? Instead of death separating them, could it be that Gaster had actually been talking about this? A time where he had undoubtedly found his soulmate, but they were not the person that he remembered. Not the one he had fallen in love with. You looked the same, and you acted the same when interacting with his friends. But you had never talked to anyone like that. Had never spoken harshly towards anyone. Had hated confrontation and never been cruel. And yet you had disregarded his claims of being your soulmate so soullessly.

He had a feeling that you would somehow slip through his fingers if he tried to follow you. The pain he felt in his soul was too much for him to be able to fight back as Papyrus dragged him away to the car, hurling insults towards him about how much of a disappointment he was. How disgraceful. Did he really think he was good enough to have a soulmate?

The yelling continued along these lines all the way back to the house. Sans just took it. Eyelights extinguished, completely silent. He didn't protest when his brother dragged him up the stairs and threw him in his room. He just curled up on his mattress and stared blankly at the wall.

Hesitantly, Sans pulled his soul out and choked when he saw the state it was in. There were deep cracks, several smaller ones forming before his eyes. Silver liquid oozed from them like his soul was bleeding. It was a mess. It looked like it tried several times to shatter, but something was ultimately stopping it.

Sans shakily brought his soul back to his chest.

He had to fix this.

* * *

You scowled as you speed-walked down the street. You pulled your hood up in an attempt to hide your face and shoved your hands in your pockets, attempting to walk even faster. Eventually, you decided to just say "fuck it" and began running. You couldn't help the sigh of relief as you finally caught sight of a familiar house. You ran up the driveway and repeatedly banged your fist on the door, only stopping when an extremely pissed off (and slightly sleepy) Undyne answered. The fish monster blinked in slight confusion. You didn't give her the chance to say anything before storming in and slamming the door behind you.

You immediately locked the door and then turned to face your friend, who instantly noticed the scowl on your normally friendly face.

"You have GOT to do something."

The fish monster in front of you folded her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Do something about...?" Undyne trailed off as she gestured for you to continue.

You rolled your eyes, pulling at your hair as your eyes darted over to the windows. You stormed over to them, bolting them shut and drawing the curtains before turning to face your friend once more.

"That friend of yours. The skeleton."

The look of utter confusion that crossed Undyne's face would've made you laugh under any other circumstances. But this was becoming a pressing issue for you. If you laughed now, then you wouldn't be taken seriously, and this would never get sorted. And if it didn't get sorted, then you might actually end up having to resort to more...desperate measures.

"Do you mean Papyrus?"

"What? No! I love that edgy sweetheart! I'm talking about the one you introduced me to on the anniversary. Papyrus' brother. What was his name? Zand?"

Undyne cackled loudly, pounding her fist against the wall. Oh, this was hysterical. It had been barely a week since she and Alphys had introduced you to Sans. And you couldn't remember his name. She had to admit that she was disappointed. She and Alphys had been so sure that you and Sans would hit it off. Undyne, her girlfriend, and Papyrus had all had to forfeit money to Frisk that night. They were the only one who had been convinced that you wouldn't like him. They always had a strange way of knowing things...

"It's Sans, you dweeb! Haha, oh stars. What's wrong? Oh! Do you maybe want me to give you his phone number? Did you change your mind after all?" Undyne wiggled her eyebrows as she grinned.

You scrunched your nose and stuck out your tongue in slight disgust. The fish monster didn't miss the blush that crept up to your ears and immediately burst out laughing again. All the noise ended up waking a specific dinosaur, who sent a glare at her girlfriend as she rubbed her tired eyes. Undyne grinned apologetically before quickly fixing a cup of tea. You and the two monsters moved to sit down. You eagerly grabbed the fluffy blanket that had been draped across the chair you had curled up in and wrapped it around yourself. You cuddled down, making yourself into a little blanket burrito as the others made themselves comfortable. Once Alphys had drained about half of the tea and was a little more awake, she gestured for you to continue with the conversation. Undyne picked up the discussion again, smirking as she did.

"Okay. So what's got you all riled up over Sans?"

Needless to say that this was all that was needed for Alphys to become fully awake. Her eyes sparkled with manic glee. She knew it would happen! She just knew it! Your face fell, and you scowled once again.

"Tell him to leave me alone."

A blank look passed over both of their faces.

"He's stalking me!"

Undyne's eye narrowed as she started to feel uneasy. Glancing over at Alphys told her that she was feeling the same.

"He's always waiting for me after work, so I have to try and sneak out the back. He follows me around everywhere. Literally! He even followed me here! That's why I closed the curtains! He tries to give the impression that he's not, but he's lousy at hiding and an even worse liar."

You shuddered as you hugged yourself, looking away from your friends. Your voice became quieter.

"He knows where I live, guys. There have been times when I've been at home, and I'll see him watching me through the window..."

Alphys had paled slightly. Undyne bared her teeth in a slight snarl. What was that bonehead thinking?! She leaned forward. This was serious.

"Okay, (y/n). I have to ask you something important. Would Sans have been able to see the inside of your house? Like, would he have been able to take in all of the details?"

You blinked owlishly and nodded. Undyne swore. Alphys stood up and walked over to the wall where a photo of her and Undyne had been hung up lovingly. She lifted the picture to reveal a panel. After placing her claw on it, a green light flashed, and a beep sounded. Undyne nodded at her girlfriend in approval as the dinosaur activated the barrier around their home that would stop monsters from using magic to enter without their permission. Any forced entry would immediately trigger the alarm. Undyne turned back to you.

"Sorry (y/n). You're gonna have to stay here a while. If Sans is able to see the inside of your place, then he'll be able to teleport inside. We're gonna have to get Asgore and Toriel involved with this..."

You paled as you thought about what that meant. Sans could teleport! You caught sight of him at your window countless times. He would've been able to get inside.

...

HAD he ever been inside? Had Sans ever teleported into your home after you'd fallen asleep? The thought of Sans standing over your bed as he watched you sleep made you feel physically sick. You started to tremble violently just at the thought.

Undyne had gone to the window, peeking out from behind the curtains while she spoke into her phone. Alphys huddled next to you as she watched her girlfriend. Undyne sneered, eye narrowing when her gaze zeroed in on a very familiar form that was ducking behind some bushes. Undyne gritted her teeth. That bastard. She had no doubt that that was Sans, and that he would've teleported away by now.

"G-guys. I'm scared... What do I do?"

Undyne's fins drooped slightly as she walked over to you and Alphys. She placed a hand on your shoulder, squeezing reassuringly as she grinned.

"Don't worry, punk. We're not gonna let anything happen to you. In fact, I'm gonna stay up all night and make sure that nothing happens!"

She summoned her spear and posed, cackling while Alphys blushed. Your eyes misted over with unshed tears, grateful for such caring friends.

For the rest of the night, you and Alphys stayed huddled together on the couch under the blankets. A lamp stayed on in the corner. Undyne stayed seated in one of the chairs, hand gripping the glowing spear as she kept a silent vigil over you and her girlfriend. Her fins trembled slightly at the slightest noise, senses only calming down when she had figured out what it was exactly. Every few minutes, the fish monster would go to the window and look out, watching for the skeleton.

He didn't show up again that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm not completely happy with this but i'm tired and if i don't post this now, i probably never will :P


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the end

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you to ariinya for being a fantastic beta reader as always. my writing would be terrible without her ^^;
> 
> this is the going to be the final chapter. I'm not going to be adding any more to it.

Sans wriggled slightly as he sat on the wooden chair in a very fancy looking waiting room. He hated how uncomfortable this thing was, and he continued to grumble under his breath. Papyrus, seated next to him, simply rolled his eyelights, scowling as he smacked his older brother across the back of the skull. The shorter skeleton glared back at Papyrus as he rubbed at the now sore spot on the back of his head. Hopefully, he wouldn't be sporting any new cracks.

He had to look his best, after all. He would be going to his soulmate after this. And he was going to confess everything. Surely that would set the record straight. Sans couldn't help but feel a little concerned, however. You hadn't been back to your home for a few days now, and when he teleported in to make sure you were okay, he couldn't help but notice that some of your clothes were missing. He knew for sure that you were alright; tracking you down had led him to Undyne and Alphys' house. But you had been staying there since and were making no moves to, well, move.

His train of thought was interrupted when the phone on the receptionist's desk began to ring. The deer monster currently sitting at the desk, dressed in a lemon yellow blouse and black pencil skirt, answered. She talked quietly for a few moments, probably to ensure that the two skeleton monsters wouldn't hear what she was saying. Sans couldn't help the scowl that crossed his face as the deer glanced over at him nervously before ending the call. She made an attempt at clearing her throat, obviously very nervous about interacting with them if the slight tremble was anything to go by.

Papyrus stopped pretending to be reading a magazine (no, he didn't care that he was reading it upside down! That's part of the challenge!) and looked towards her expectantly. She gave a slight nod of the head, which was all the confirmation Papyrus needed. He immediately grabbed Sans by the collar and began to drag him roughly through the door in front of them, practically throwing him onto the floor and slamming the door behind him as he stepped in front to guard.

Sprawled out on the floor, the first thing Sans noticed was the carpet. How it seemed to be stained with grey. Almost like dust had been spilled there and someone had tried to scrub the evidence away but just couldn't quite get the stain out. The second thing he noticed was the wooden desk in front of him. Seated at the desk was none other than Asgore, currently looking over some papers and signing them. Toriel stood by his side as she put forth her own suggestions, to which the king would nod solemnly before scribbling it down.

Toriel finally looked up and smiled warmly.

"Sans. It's nice to see that you could join us. Please, sit!" She gestured towards the chair in front of the desk.

Sans hesitated for a moment but pushed any and all suspicions aside. Toriel wouldn't do anything to him. She was a friend! Sorta. He couldn't really remember the last time he'd sat down and joked around with her like they did when they were still underground. Wow, he really had been a jerk to his friends. It was this thought that had him pushing himself up off the floor and sinking into the chair. Huh, it was quite comfortable. He couldn't help but relax.

Asgore finally finished whatever work he had been doing and leaned back in his chair, sighing deeply. When he looked at the skeleton in front of him, he looked so tired that Sans couldn't help but feel bad. Sans frowned slightly and was about to suggest coming back another time so Asgore could get some rest. The stars knew that he needed it with how hard the king had been working just to get a law passed for monsters' rights.

Before he could say anything, the goat monster smiled tiredly.

"Thank you for coming, Sans. I understand how...busy you've been lately, but I have a bit of a problem that I was hoping you could help with."

Sans raised a brow bone. The king wanted his help with a problem? Usually, with this kind of thing, Asgore would ask either Toriel, Frisk, Papyrus, or Undyne for help. Toriel and Frisk would usually help with more political issues, and Papyrus and Undyne helped with...issues that required violence. The only time Sans was ever asked was if someone's soul needed to be judged, and that hardly ever happened. So if Asgore was asking for his help, then it must've been something really bad.

Asgore seemed to have read his mind because he stood, turning and walking towards where a teapot and some beautifully hand-painted china teacups had been placed on a tray. Next to the giant boss monster, they looked ridiculously tiny. Sans tugged on his collar and coughed in a bid to stop himself from laughing at the sight of Asgore struggling to pick up the objects.

Asgore turned to him.

"May I offer you some tea while we discuss what needs to be done?"

Sans wasn't usually a drinker of tea. He'd much rather drink mustard or even whiskey. But he'd heard many times from Papyrus that Asgore always made the best tea. Besides, seeing as this meeting seemed to be more serious than social, he wasn't sure if it would be appropriate. He could get through drinking one cup of tea and seeing as Asgore himself was making it there was a chance he might actually like it.

"er...sure. i'll give it a shot."

Toriel beamed, and out of the corner of his socket, he noticed that Papyrus had nodded slightly in approval. He couldn't help but let out a slight sigh of relief. He seemed to have passed some kind of test.

Once the tea had been brewed, Asgore brought over the cups and set them on the desk before sitting once more. Sans had almost expected his cup to be tiny because of how it looked next to the monster king. But it was just a normal-sized teacup. Nothing special about it.

The tea itself, on the other hand, smelled delicious. A deep, orange-red color and sweet-smelling, and he could already feel it calming him. Sans didn't hesitate to take a sip. The fact that both Asgore and Toriel were watching him as he drank made him a little uneasy. But the last thing he wanted to do was offend the two boss monsters by refusing to drink the tea that had been made for him. Sans wasn't an idiot; he knew it would be foolish to even pretend to drink. Besides, it was actually quite nice.

Asgore chuckled good-naturedly as the skeleton monster in front of him drank, slowly taking a sip of his own tea before letting his face fall into a more serious expression.

"Now, that's enough dilly-dallying. Time to get down to the matter at hand," Asgore began.

Sans simply hummed in acknowledgment as he continued to sip at the tea. He could feel himself starting to relax. This was kinda nice. Asgore continued.

"It's come to my attention that a monster has been stalking a human."

Sans narrowed his sockets slightly as he raised a browbone. How was that his problem?

"Things with the humans are already rocky, Sans. We can't afford for things to go wrong. I can't afford for things to go wrong. Not when Frisk has been making so much progress with them. You know how long it's been taking us just to get basic rights."

The skeleton nodded. He couldn't help but feel guilty about that. It was partly his fault, after all. He had been the one to force the reset. He had been the one to kill the kid. But what Asgore didn't know wouldn't hurt him. Right?

"At the end of the day, Sans, we can't allow a single monster to cause all of our hard work to be erased. You understand what I mean, don't you?"

"...you want me to find the monster and take care of 'em?"

Asgore bared his teeth in a rare grin as he stared at the skeleton monster in front of him, and Sans could only just suppress the shudder that ran down his spine. He was starting to feel a little queasy. A strange feeling of panic began to creep over him, and he couldn't understand why. His limbs felt heavy...

"There's no need. It's already being taken care of."

Sans swallowed and placed the teacup back on the desk, his limbs trembling slightly. Why did he have such a bad feeling?

"Undyne has told me about how you've been stalking that human girl. She told me that, after hearing of your ability to teleport, it would be easy for you to get into the place she lived, that the girl no longer felt safe in her own house. Being the king of our kind makes you my responsibility in this case. So it's up to me what happens to you. And Sans, I don't think you deserve to see the sun anymore."

Sans noticed what was making him begin to panic; his magic was slipping away from him. Not enough for him to dust. But enough for him to be unable to fight back. He wouldn't even be able to teleport. His eyelights flickered to the teacup, only now noticing the powder inside.

He'd been drugged.

He fell to the floor, feeling as heavy as he would if gravity magic was being used on him. His eyelights flickered over to his brother, silently pleading for help. Papyrus bowed his head and turned away, unable to watch as his brother lost consciousness.

* * *

When Sans finally woke up again, he couldn't stop from groaning, feeling like his skull had been smashed with a sledgehammer. He slowly opened his sockets and glanced around warily.

He was in a tiny cell of some kind. It was pitch black, the only light coming from the tiny, ethereal glow that shone from the few stones that had been embedded in the ceiling and walls. Another day, he would've found them comforting, like the stars. Now they just looked eerie. They looked like they came from Waterfall. He was back in the Underground? He didn't remember Waterfall having a prison of any kind...

He heard chains rattling, and when he looked down, he saw why his wrists felt so heavy. He had heavy shackles around his wrists, his ankles, and judging by the feel of it, there was one around his neck. Heavy chains anchored him to the wall. These weren't normal restraints. The glow of magic reeked of Alphys' handiwork. That explained why he couldn't summon the energy to break free or conjure an attack.

He was trapped.

"So You're Awake."

Sans' head snapped up as he looked towards the front of the cell. Papyrus stood on the other side of the bars, arms folded. He couldn't read the expression on his face, but he grinned slightly in relief. He'd never been so glad to see his brother. Surely Papyrus would get him out of there!

"boss! thank the stars. boss, ya gotta get me outta here!"

Papyrus' face fell into a scowl as he glared at Sans.

"Not This Time, Brother."

The relieved smile vanished from Sans' face. What? Papyrus...wasn't going to help him? But...

"...boss...?"

Papyrus turned his back on him.

"You Made Your Bed, Brother. You Can Lie In It."

Sans stared after him as he walked away, his footsteps fading the further he went. He hoped that Papyrus would at least look back one last time. If he saw the pleading look on Sans' face, then surely he would come back and help him!

Papyrus didn't look back.

Sans continued to stare at the heavy iron door that closed behind his brother. His eyelights vanished, and his body sagged as hopelessness finally started to set in. He was still staring at the door hours later. He was convinced that this was some kind of hellish nightmare. There was no way this could be real.

The increasing pain in his soul told him otherwise.

So Sans curled up in the corner as best he could and tried his best to overcome the waves of pain from his brother leaving him to rot in this place, and from being away from his soulmate. He never got the chance to make it up to you. He had a strong suspicion that he never would.

He truly was never going to see you again. And now, because of his foolish actions, he'd lost his brother, too. He'd lost his friends, his brother, and you. All because of one stupid mistake in the last timeline. He'd lost everything.

Sans was so tired.

* * *

"Are you really sure about this?"

You pulled your suitcases out of the trunk of the car, grunting quietly at the weight. You were having the rest of your belongings shipped to your new home. There were just too many things for you to take in your cases in the end. You turned to look at your friends, Undyne and Alphys, who had come with you to the airport to say goodbye. You smiled.

"Sorry, guys. I know you said that it had been dealt with, but I just don't feel safe over here anymore. I know for a fact that you wouldn't let anything happen to me, but I can't go the rest of my life being a burden on you guys and looking over my shoulder whenever I'm outside on the off chance that Sans might try to kidnap me or something. This is for the best."

Alphys sighed sadly, and Undyne's fins drooped. They were going to miss you. They'd tried everything to get you to stay, but they understood why you felt you had to leave.

"Y-you'll call us? Once you get there?" Alphys asked hopefully.

You smiled and nodded, pulling the dinosaur monster into a hug before doing the same with Undyne. After some more reassurances that you'd be fine and would definitely call them every day, you pulled away and began the tedious job of tugging your suitcases through the doors.

For the next few hours, you held your breath and couldn't help but feel on edge. You couldn't bring yourself to eat and so opted for drinking coffee instead. It was probably a bad idea to be drinking so much coffee right before going on such a long flight, but you would deal with that problem IF you got there. For now, you just wanted to make it onto the plane without any incidents. So you kept your head down and prayed that what Undyne and Alphys said about Sans being taken care of was true.

You didn't know if you'd be strong enough to be able to fight him off if he appeared.

You felt detached as you walked on the plane. You placed your hand luggage above your seat and then sat, your leg bouncing nervously while your hands gripped the armrest. You silently pleaded for them to hurry up. You could see other passengers glancing at you, some concerned, and some clearly spooked by how you were acting.

A hand found your own, and you jumped, eyes wide as you turned to face the person it belonged to. You were expecting it to be the very skeleton that you were running from. You couldn't hold back the sigh of relief when you stared into the kind eyes of an old lady, white-blonde hair tied back in a messy bun. Her wrinkled hand gave yours a gentle squeeze as she smiled kindly. You couldn't help but smile back.

"Scared of flying, love?" she asked, her voice calm and soothing.

"Haha, something like that..." you giggled nervously. She grinned and patted your hand reassuringly.

"Well, if you want, you can help me play Who Wants To Be A Millionaire on this TV thing. Last time, I got up to £16, 000, and I intend on going the whole way this time!" she whispered conspiratorially. You grinned and nodded, eager for something to help pass the time and take your mind off of things.

An hour later, the two of you were groaning in defeat. You'd got up to £64, 000 and were taking a break for now. It was only when you glanced out the window that you realized that you were airborne. You'd taken off without even realizing. Oh, that was very sneaky. Well played Hazel. Well played.

You allowed yourself to fully relax.

Sans the stalking skeleton was never going to find you again.

You were free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bother me on Tumblr: https://lizzie-tempest.tumblr.com/

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, I really like throwing angst right at Fell!Sans. I should give him a break one of these days, write something cute and fluffy :3
> 
> Visit me at Tumblr: https://lizzie-tempest.tumblr.com/  
> Send me asks or a message to chat :)
> 
> If the the text at the end hurts anyone's eyes or if they have trouble reading it, let me know and I'll change it to something else


End file.
